Mel Gibson’s back in “The Beaver,” a poignant dramedy, and he’s touching as a family man suffering from an unshakable depression. Listless, suicidal, and given up on life, Walter Black (Gibson) has inner demons. He’s drifted away from everyone, and lies around the house until his loving but frustrated wife Meredith (director-co-star Jodie Foster) boots him out. CEO of a failing toy company, Walter finds a beaver hand puppet he converses with in a fantasy relationship. Miraculously, the toy acts as a needed catalyst, and his life turns around as he reconnects with sons, Porter (Anton Yelchin), the oldest who has gotten to look down on his father, and seven-year-old Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart) who idolizes him. Walter’s disposition improves as the beaver seemingly takes over his life as the company’s profits rise.
Ridiculous as the idea is, credit Mel Gibson’s startling portrayal which makes it work. This darkly amusing look at a tormented man traversing a road to recovery is inspiring even if it is way off-the-wall. Director Jodie Foster tastefully handles the theme of mental illness although she gives herself short-shrift in an underwritten role while her cast fares better. Essentially, the focus is on Gibson’s heartfelt performance which carries the movie. In secondary roles, Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone”) has a palpable relationship with Anton Yelchin as classmates. “The Beaver” shows how a broken family can get back together and also serves as a cautionary tale how melancholia can affect an individual and those around him/her.
Image Source: Media Theiapolis
